Electric discharge device



ELECTRIC DISCHARGE DEVICE Fiied Jan. 28, 1929 Figl. T:

/a /7. Inventor:

, Hen H A'wagringer 20 WW His Attorney.

Patented Nov. 14, 1933 UNITED; STATES ELECTRIC DISCHARGE DEVICE Henry A.Wayringer, Schenectady, N. Y., assignmto General Electric Company, acorporation of New York Application January 28, 1929. Serial No. 335,463

6 Claims.

The present invention relates to gaseous discharge devices, such, forexample, as lamps con- I taining neon, mercury vapor, or other gas, and

its object is to provide a continuoustube coiled upon itself having asingle wall thickness where by a concentrated light source may beprovided.

Heretofore, when concentrated gaseous discharge lamps have been desired,a tubular envelope has been coiled upon itself to form a compact body.

The coiling up of a tube, when consistmg of a *refractory glass, orfused quartz; is a tedious and difficult operation and the completedarticle has two wall thicknesses as well as idle space between adjacentturns or loops of the luminous discharge.

In accordance with my invention a more eflicient construction isprovided for a luminous unit which not only is more easily fabricatedbut which also isless bulky and has but a single wall between adjacentturns. ll'he novel features of my improved construction are pointed outwith particularity in the appended claims but in general my inventionmakes use of a container having partition walls forming sinuous passagestherein.

The accompanying drawing shows in Fig. l in side elevation a' projectorcontaining a lamp embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a perspective on alarge scale ofan improved lamp, part of the lamp structure being brokenaway, and Fig. 3 is a fragmental view of amodification.

Referring to the drawing, and in particular to Figs. 1 and 2, the lampshown-comprises eiec trode chambers l and 2 containing respectively acathode 3, and an anode 4 of any approved type a and an intermediatecommunicating, illuminating tube or chamber which is coiled upon itselfto form a flat disc 5. The cathode end of the lamp is provided'with abase 5 which may be screwed into a socket '7 within a projector 8, thisforming no part of my invention.

, The projector 8, carried by a pedestal 9, is pro-- vided wtih a mirror(not shown) oppositefthe lamp. It has been shown only to illustrate oneparticular use of a lamp embodying my invention. Current is conveyed tothe anode by conductor 11 and to the cathode (which may be'thermionicand of known construction) by conductors connected to the terminals ofthe socket 7 and not illustrated.

The novel features of my invention are particularly concerned with theconstruction of the i1- luminating portion .of such a lamp, asillustrated in greater detail in Fig. 2. The illuminating chamber 5comprises plates 13, liof fused quartz (or silica) which are-united by aside wall it to form an enclosure which communicates withthe electrodechamber 2 as indicated and with the electrode chamber 3 at a peripheralportion which has been broken away. Within this enclosure is atransverse partition 16 which forms within the chamber a. sinuous orspiral passageway leading from one electrode chamber to another.

In the fabrication of this structure, the partition 16 first is formedby coiling a ribbon of the desired vitreous material, for example, fusedquartz, upon itself into a spiral or other desired form. This ribbon isthen fused to one of the plates 13 or 14 by means of a blow pipe, are,or other suitable means. The plate 13 may be placed over the spiral 16which rests on a suitable re-= fractory support, such as graphite, andthe flame is directed upon the plate at the line of contact of the plateand the partition to produce a fusion seal and firm union between thetwo. The remaining plate 14 then is joined similarly by fusion to theside wall 15 and the partition 16 to form a gas-tight enclosure or panelof transparent material.

It is not essential that the device comprising my invention should beformed of members of the particular shape illustrated in Fig. 2. In Fig.3' there is illustrated an embodiment of my invention having flatangular enclosing walls 17 and flat partition plates, one set 18 ofwhich is connected to one of the end plates, and another set 19 isconnected to the opposite end plate, thereby leaving a sinuous passageor labyrinth communicating with the conduits 20, 21 leading to theelectrode chambers at the ends of said. passage, which have not beenillustrated in this figure.

The luminous unit made as herein. described when filled with a gas whichbecomes luminous while conducting an electric current forms a substantiaiiy continuous luminous field suitable for use in electric signs,in projectors or other 111- laminating devices.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is:

1. 'An electric discharge device comprising plates spaced apart, sidewalls sealed thereto to constitute an enclosure, one or more transversepartitions arranged between said plates to form a sinuous passage insaid enclosure, the adjacent ing with the passage formed by theCOIWOIII? 'tions of said partition and electrodes in said chambersadapted to conduct an electric discharge through said passage.

3. 'An electric lamp comprising a container, electrodes therein and apartition arranged therein to form a continuous, single-walled tubecoiled upon itself.

4. An electric lamp comprising an -envelope of vitreous material, aplurality of partitions sealed 1,9aa,42a a m1. having a single-walled,convolute partition therein arranged to define; a passage forming asubstantially continuous; uniformly luminous field when filled with aluminous gas, a conductive luminous gas in said passage and electrodesfor said gas on the panel at the ends 01 said passage.

'6." An electric lamp comprising an envelope of transparent materialhaving a convolute partition therein which is arranged to form acompact.

passage the adjacent portions of which are separated by a single wall, agaseous filling therefor,

electrodes including a thermionic cathode spaced -.apart in saidpassage, and conductors sealed into said envelope and being connected tosaid electrodes. HENRY A. WAYRINGER.

